By Michel Rose and Clotaire Achi
PARIS, Oct 31 (Reuters) - French protesters marched across the country on Saturday in the latest nationwide demonstrations driven by anger over living costs and strained public services, as authorities deployed in force to prevent a repeat of the unrest that erupted two weeks ago and tensions began to surface in some cities.
The protests, which fall on Halloween, come after riots and looting on October 17 caught security forces off guard, leaving a trail of damage to shops,
public buildings and businesses across the country.
France's top administrative court on Saturday upheld a ban on a march between the landmark Paris squares of Nation and Bastille, rejecting a challenge from unions. Authorities instead authorised a route along boulevards on the eastern edge of the capital, away from central shopping districts.
The marches brought together students – whose mobilisation began in September – trade unions and a smaller contingent of Yellow Vest protesters, united by complaints over the cost of living, high fuel prices, rising inflation and President Emmanuel Macron's government.
"The French economy is doing badly no matter what happens, because today we're being run by a group of incompetents who juggle billions, while families are struggling with a few cents," protester Jerome Rodriguez said during the Paris march.
"That's why we're here, to keep shouting our demands louder and louder and hopefully get a response from the government, although that seems very unlikely."
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, whose ratings have risen in recent weeks ahead of next April's presidential election, marched at the head of the Paris demonstration.
Demonstrations were largely peaceful through the afternoon, though police fired tear gas in Lyon, France's third-largest city, and Toulouse in the southwest, while tension also broke out at the end of the march in Marseille.
HALLOWEEN MASKS WARNING
Authorities have warned that Halloween masks could be used to conceal the identities of troublemakers. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has vowed to prevent a repeat of the October 17 violence, noting that existing laws allow police to prohibit face coverings when public order is threatened.
Some 150 gatherings were planned nationwide, the interior ministry said. Initial turnout appeared lower than at the previous Saturday's protests, it said.
The unrest comes at a delicate moment for the government. On Friday, ratings agency Fitch unexpectedly revised the outlook on French debt to negative, underscoring investor concerns over the country's finances. With public debt nearing 120% of economic output and borrowing costs rising, Macron's government faces mounting pressure to curb spending, limiting its room for manoeuvre.
The US Embassy advised travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations or large gatherings were planned.
The protests gathered momentum in late September as Macron's minority government opened talks on its 2027 budget. Students angered by the deteriorating state of schools, overcrowded classrooms and a university admissions system widely viewed as unfair have since been joined by trade unions and a resurgent Yellow Vest movement demanding action on living costs.
PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS EUROPE
The protests have inspired youth-led protests across Europe, with demonstrations planned in more than 30 German cities on Saturday.
The French government's promises to reform education and ease fuel costs have failed to calm discontent.
"When I was little, I was told young people were the future," said Aaron Berthier de Grandry, a 15-year-old high school student in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, who was planning to join his third consecutive weekend of protests.
"Well, if we, as the future of France, lack resources, that means France will end up collapsing."
The unrest has handed a political boost to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads opinion polls ahead of April's presidential election, while potential centrist successors to Macron remain divided.
The troubles are the latest blow to an economy which, data on Friday showed, was already shrinking in the third quarter.
The Chamber of Commerce estimates losses to retailers exceed €1 billion ($1.1 billion). Other estimates put the total at double that when including uninsured damage and lost revenue.
Along Paris' main shopping boulevards, early Christmas lights glow around boarded-up windows and security grilles. Among the shops targeted in previous unrest were outlets belonging to luxury brands including Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Burberry.
The government is pushing ahead with a controversial law making rioters liable to pay up to €10,000 for damage caused either by themselves or by groups they are deemed to be part of. Rights groups and some lawyers say the measure risks undermining the right to peaceful protest.
(Additional reporting by Noemie Olive, Dominique Vidalon, Alessandro Parodi, Inti Landauro, Michel Rose; Writing by Mark John; Editing by Ros Russell, Susan Fenton and Alex Richardson)
